Sunrise is earlier, the temperature is warmer, and as you start to think about summer decorating, you find that your spirits are finally starting to shed off those dark layers of winter. Summer is on the way. Now is the time to get all your patio furniture out of the shed and to brush off the layer of leaves and twigs that have buried your barbeque pit. As you start spending your Saturday afternoons working in and around the yard to get your property ready for summer, make sure that you do not neglect the inside of the house as well. Even though you want to spend time outside, there are some very simple summer decorating ideas that you can utilize indoors to give your house a light, breezy, summertime feel. Let us now take a look at how your choice of fabrics, décor and color schemes can make a huge difference with your summer decorating.

Fabrics

You do a number of things to your home in the winter to create warmth. Some of those things simply emit a feeling of coziness while others actually contribute to maintaining the physical temperature of the room. The fabric that you utilize will do both. Do you have dark, heavy curtains or drapes hanging over the windows? Those are great for containing the heat that you pay so much money for and they work well to stop a cold winter draft, but when the time for summer decorating comes you may want consider a change.

There is a benefit to having full breeze windows and summer is the time to enjoy them. After waiting through five months of dark and dreary days, don’t hide from the extended sunlight behind your heavy drapes!

Ideally, you can just take down the rod that is holding up the drapes and store them neatly until next winter. Leave the valence if you have one, as it will provide a little bit of decorative structure over the window. Find some inexpensive sheer drapes that can go in place of the heavy ones. These will allow a cool breeze to blow through, even when you have them closed. The sheer effect will also allow you to maximize the natural daylight while still maintaining some degree of privacy. If it is impossible to take the heavy drapes down yourself, then devise a crafty way to tie them back. You can buy hooks specifically designed for this at most craft stores or home centers. This will allow the most daylight possible to come in and will also allow the breeze to blow freely when you have the windows open.

You also need to pay attention to the fabrics that you use on flat surfaces when planning your summer decorating scheme. Think about the tablecloth that you are using and ask yourself if it is the same one you had on the table for your holiday parties. If it was great for creating a cozy autumn and winter ambiance, then it is not going to work well to create a look that is summer time fresh.

Take a look around at the other runners that you have in the room as well. Do you have runners on end tables, a sideboard, or a buffet? Make sure those are also seasonally appropriate.

If you have hardwood or tile floors, don’t forget about the fabrics that are on them. Throw rugs are a good way to lighten or refresh a room in a hurry. Good summer rugs usually have a shorter nap than the deep shags that you likely use in the colder months. Of course you will want to make sure that the colors are appropriate for your room and summer decorating style.

Décor

Someone probably bought you a nice bouquet of candles for a holiday present at some point. You lit them happily and enjoyed the warm smell of potpourri and cinnamon as you absorbed the feeling of holiday cheer that was created by natural firelight. By the time spring rolls around though, you are ready for sunlight. Say goodbye to the candles and the holiday smells and replace the gaps on your mantle and shelves with fresh cut flowers. Throw the windows open and smile every morning when you see those cut flowers reaching towards the sunlight that is pouring through your window.

While most of us cannot afford a new set of furniture for every season, you may want to consider investing in slipcovers for your couch and loveseat. These are a fairly inexpensive way to completely transform the look and feel of your furniture.

When the season is over, you can remove the covers and revert to your original couches. If you do not want to mess with slipcovers, you may be surprised at just how much the tenor of a room can be brightened by changing the throw pillows on your couch or chair. Find some lighter, brighter complimentary colors to your furniture and give your living space a real summer time pick-me-up.

If you feel like your room is dark and you want to capitalize on the natural sunlight that will be pouring in your windows, try hanging a mirror on the wall opposite your largest window. The mirror will reflect that natural light, doubling the effect of the sunlight. Not only will this cause your room to be brighter, but it can also make a room feel bigger. Try to find a frameless mirror to maximize this effect. A mirror with a dark or heavy frame will help some, but it can nullify the effect that you are trying to create and be a great tool for summer decorating.

Color Schemes

As you are getting your home ready for the summer season, you may want to spend a little bit of time analyzing the existing color schemes in your home. Look at things like paint colors and flooring solutions. A number of houses are very tastefully decorated with great color schemes, but they still do not feel right. You need to ask yourself if the color scheme in your house is appropriate for the place that you live, the style of house that you have, and for the climate.

For example, a large sitting room painted with bright coral color and glossy white trim works very well in a tropical climate. That same sitting room, dropped into a mountain home in the Rockies will probably feel a bit out of place.

Learn how to use color to create atmosphere, and do not just stop with the color of your walls. Should the trim work be painted or left to show the natural wood grain? Think about your floors. How would a hardwood floor change the ambiance of a room that had always been carpeted? Travertine tile is another great flooring option for warmer climates.

When you start talking about repainting and installing new flooring you are looking at some features of you home that you cannot change seasonally. These are things you want to make sure you will be comfortable with on a year-round basis. Summer, though, is a great time to get these projects done. You can throw open windows to let in fresh air and the dust can blow right out the door.

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